


The Case of the Not-So-Dead Kid (2015)

by NanixErka



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Archived, Ben (Mentioned) - Freeform, Bobby Singer (mentioned) - Freeform, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Mild Fluff, OC insert, Old Fic, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Written in Class, ghost - Freeform, heavy agnst, previous character death, written in 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23865988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanixErka/pseuds/NanixErka
Summary: This is a Supernatural Story I wrote in 2015Even though I'm no longer a part of that fandom (I fell out of love quite some time ago), I hope you enjoy this old thingTakes place some time before season 6? Use your imagination
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Original Child Character(s), Castiel & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Original Child Character(s), Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester & Original Child Character(s)





	The Case of the Not-So-Dead Kid (2015)

“Hows the article?” Dean asked, going through his weapons for the 3rd time. Sam sure was taking his sweet time researching the damn house. 

“Awful” Sam replied. “The whole damn family was brutally slaughtered. The twins were killed by beheading…. they were 5……” Sam cleared his throat “ but according to the autopsy, the parents were tortured then killed.” He summarized, continuing to read the article. “The eldest son’s body was never found, but he has been presumed dead” 

“I suppose only the kid is haunting the house? The Eldest? I wouldn’t be as surprised if the whole damn family was haunting the place, with all that damn trauma I wouldn’t blame them.” 

“But how did they never find the son’s body?” Sam asked. Dean shrugged. 

“Let’s just get this done. This kid is responsible for causing six people to go into states of catatonic shock. It can’t continue.” 

Sam nodded, continuing to read. “They were a mixed race family. Some police officers suspected that it was a hate crime” 

“What kind?” 

“Asian-European” 

“Huh, that doesn’t sound hate-crime worthy, but people are shit sometimes” Dean thought aloud, putting away his guns and knives. 

“How are we going to approach this ghost? Kindly?” 

“We’ll play it by ear” 

“Alright…” Same closed his laptop “From the stories I've heard, the kid is most active at around 2 AM” 

“Then we’ll go at 2 AM” Dean agreed. 

Sam put away his laptop, letting out a sigh. He hated when they had to exorcise ghosts- especially kids. 

\---

The impala drove up to the house, a large Victorian estate that looked beautiful despite being sparsely inhabited in the five years since the brutal murders. It was a dark purple, with a black roof and white window trimmings, The curtains in the windows did not move, and the furniture was still in the house. It was as if no one wanted to touch the house, as if no one could live there anymore. 

“You ready, Sammy?” 

“Of course. Come on” Sam nodded, heading inside, gently pushing the heavy door open. 

They entered into a front room, with stairs, and a hall leading to the kitchen. looking to the left Sam saw a great room, and to the right, a dining room. A lovely layout to a lovely house. 

“I’ll go upstairs. You stay down here.” Dean instructed, and Sam followed, hearing Deans heavy feet go up the stairs. 

Sam looked around carefully, drinking in the house’s atmosphere. He imagined that this house must’ve been lovely back when it was inhabited. There was a large rug on the ground, darkened by dirt and lack of care, and on the mantle in the great room, he saw some photos of the family, and sighed a little. It was a five person family. A mother, a father, their eldest son, and their twins. He tried to remember the names from the article. 

Sam grabbed the photograph, rubbing off dust with his thumb. 

The mother, a short, Hispanic looking woman - she was named Marisol. The father, a tall, Asian man, was named some long, fancy name. Kurai-something or other. The twins, one with his mother's hair and fathers eyes and one with her mothers eyes and fathers hair, were named Yukko and Koinu, probably from their father. The Eldest child, who was looking away in the photo, his name was Jose. A simple name, no doubt his mother named him that, but Sam wished that the photo had his face instead of the back of his head. 

_“i’m sorry ….”_

Sam turned his head swiftly, going into a defensive position at the sound of the young boys voice. Where was he? Was he omnipresent? Dean was upstairs, and all he had was the essentials. 

_“I’m so sorry, papa”_

Sam began to feel the air around him grow cold. The voice was louder, as if traveling towards him. He backed up only a bit, before relaxing his stance as he heard Deans steps come down the stairs. 

“… its 2 AM” Dean mentioned, remembering how the stories told of that time as the height of the ghosts activity. 

“How do we deal with children ghosts again?” Same asked, watching a dense cloud form near the window. 

“Child ghosts are unpredictable. Play it by ear” He reminded. Same nodded, the brothers watching the cloud form into the ghost of the child that had died. 

It was hard to look at. 

The child was dressed like any other kid his age. A graphic T shirt a size too big, and cargo pants. he had on no shoes, but socks. that were soaked in blood and looked uncomfortable. His right arm was nonexistent, nothing but muscle and veins and a jagged bone sticking out of the shoulder to show what used to be. He had black hair andbright, glowing eyes that pierced through the side window, facing the house next door. There was a disgusting looking scratch on his face that kept his left eye closed. What the fuck had happened to his kid? 

_“Did Papa send you?”_ The child voiced, a timid, shaking tone to his question as he faced them. _"Like the others?"_

The brothers looked at each other, wondering whether or not to speak

“... No…” Sam started “But we’re here to help you”

 _“Help me….?”_

“Yeah, kid” Dean started, actually kind of relieved that this wasn’t some mindless child spirit “We can get you to your family again. We’ll help you out” 

_“....But… why?”_ The child asked, turning more towards the brothers. Sam let Dean continue. 

“Because you don’t belong here, kid. You’re…. you’re dead” He tried to lay it on gently. The kid made a strange sort of face. Half annoyed - half amused. It was a smug look. 

_“I know i’m dead!”_ he huffed. _“I’ve been dead! …. I thought I was being punished…”_

“Punished?” Sam asked “For what?” 

_“... For running away….”_ He shuffled, sitting himself on the floor. Sam nudged Dean, and they both did the same. 

“Running from what? The killer?” Sam asked more, hoping to piece this together. 

_“.... No, from the dog”_ He said, sarcastically. Dean fought a smirk, and leaned forward. 

“Why would you be punished for that?” Dean asked, attempting eye contact. Jose looked away 

_“Papa said that you never run away from danger. Ever. Its not what good people do…”_ He lamented, looking at the ground. _“But I was so scared, and I ran… He caught me anyway and...”_

“You needn’t tell us more, kid” Dean said gently. 

“But we can help you be forgiven. Just tell us where your body is” Sam continued. 

_“... You can? You don’t look like priests”_ Jose tilted his head

“We’re not” Sam stated “But we can still help.” 

Jose stared at the two men, deliberating. They were brothers, he supposed, and probably a little younger than his father had been…. okay maybe a quite a bit younger. Dean reminded him a lot of his dad - though his father’s blonde hair was dyed. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he stood himself up, watching in slight amusement as the brothers followed in suit in an abrupt manner. 

_“What are your names?”_ He asked 

“I’m Dean” Dean of course answered “That's my brother, Sammy” 

“Sam, please” He corrected, and the brothers were surprised and slightly pleased that they had caused the ghostly child to giggle. 

Jose walked between them and further into the house, stopping in the kitchen. Sam looked around 

“Are you in the floor?” He asked. Jose Shook his head. 

“The wall?” Dean asked . Jose shook his head again. 

_“The under-stairs…”_ He pointed to the cabinets. _“... I still don’t know.. why he hid my body”_ He admitted. 

“we’ll find out, Jose… that's your name?” Sam assured as Dean tried to find where the hole in the wall might be, or maybe some loose boards?

 _“Uh, yeah. Jose Manuel”_ Jose nodded _“Sorry…”_

“Sorry for what?” Sam asked, leaving Sam to find his body while he kept Jose occupied

_“For not introducing myself… basic manners, Mister Sam”_

And Sam couldn’t help but chuckle “Hey, it’s alright. Soon, you’ll be with your family, up in heaven” He assured

 _“You really think so?”_ Jose asked, tilting his head slightly

“I do” Sam nodded in return. hearing a sudden **BANG**!

“...I think I found him” Dean voiced, pulling their attention. 

There was a large hole in the wall, and Dean had just turned on his flashlight “Let's see if we can see it from here…” he trailed off, looking in. He jumped back, looking shocked

“Dean, Dean what’s wrong?” Sam asked, going over to him. 

“...How long have you been dead?” Dean asked, looking at Jose

“... 5 years…”

“Kid, I’m having a hard time believing that” Dean said, glancing back in there with a bewildered look about him. 

Sam took the flashlight from him, and looking in “Let me- … Holy shit” 

Inside was Jose’s body all right but… It didn’t look like five years had passed. In fact… he looked newly dead. the skin of the body was pale. sure, but not at all rotted. The arm - or what was left of it, was…. healed over. The body’s eyes were closed, and as Sam watched closely… the chest was moving. 

“He’s breathing!! Jose, you’re alive!!” Sam jumped, and Jose looked absolutely baffled at this news. 

“Are you sure?” Dean asked, and when Sam nodded, he started pulling off more boards, ripping them with his bare hands. Jose was still recovering from the news that his body was not only in one piece… but… alive? He watched as the brothers started working together, taking apart the wall and eventually reaching the body. Sam put his reluctant hand on the body’s neck. 

“You’re warm” He said, feeling for a pulse “And you have a pulse” He continued, reaching carefully, and pulling the body out. With Dean’s help, Jose’s somehow still alive body was moved to the couch in the living room. Jose stared, in shock. it was like that night had only happened hours ago… but not. What the hell was this??? 

_“I don’t understand….”_ Jose stared at himself. _“Why is my body still alive… is it a coma?”_

“No, you’d have aged…” Dean answered. “Its like time stopped or something.” Sam took a moment to observe the body again, spotting something, and he lifted up the shirt, staring at some sort of ancient sigil. 

“What the hell….?” Dean heard Sam’s exclamation/question, and looked 

“I’m calling Cas” Dean announced, turning slightly. Jose approached Sam

 _“... What is that?”_ Jose asked

“We don’t know. But we know someone that might.” Sam assured, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about for Jose’s sake. Jose knew he wasn’t, but he took the comfort anyway. 

Just moments later, Castiel appeared in the room, Jose staring in awe. 

_“An angel…”_ He whispered. 

“What is it you need me for, Dean?” He asked, looking at Jose’s ghost in a perplexed manner. 

“Okay Cas, the lowdown here is that this kid” He pointed to Jose’s body “died five years ago. But he looks newly dead and has a freaky sigil on his stomach that we hope you know” He explained, and Cas took it in quickly. 

“Alright. Allow me to see it” He walked up to the body, pulling the shirt up to look at said sigil. “....” He didn’t say anything. 

“Well, Cas?” Sam asked, Jose taking a step closer, waiting for an answer to his strange predicament. 

“I know of this… but it is banned from use by all angels.” He started, vaguely. “It is a soul separation sigil. Meant to forcibly separate the soul from the body.” He looked to Jose’s ghost, whose eyes grew wide “The only caveat is that the body sort of goes on pause. I see that this was not completely the case, as the arm has healed.” 

_“... Is there any way to fix it?”_ Jose spoke up, garnering everyone’s attention with the pitiful want lacing his tone. 

“.... Yes, but it is unpleasant” Castiel finally started explaining after reading Jose’s desperate expression “You must lie still within your body as the mark is wiped away with holy water. It is painful, so i have heard, and has a low survival rate for both the body and the soul involved.” \

Jose drank in the explanation, weighing his options relatively quickly. 

_“I’ll do it”_

“Are you sure?” Sam asked. 

“ I think he’s sure” Dean answered for him. Jose nodded. 

“Alright… lay down then” Castiel instructed. “Which of you has the holy water?” Sam held up a medium sized bottle from his pocket which Castiel took. “You two might want to back away” And the brothers did, looking on at Jose’s translucent form as he lay back in his body, waiting for whatever was to happen, happen. 

Castiel was very hesitant to start. holding the bottle in his hand surely, but he didn’t start after a little bit, and Jose (or his ghost) sat up out of the body. 

_“Why are you waiting?”_ he asked, looking a bit irked. 

“If I fail, your soul is doomed to walk the earth for all eternity” He warned. “Are you sure that you do not want your body burned so you may move on? Your family awaits you” 

Jose stared at Castiel obviously weighing his options once more. _“...I”m not ready to go yet”_ He said, assured. Castiel nodded.

“Lie down then” He ordered, and Jose did so, mentally preparing himself for whatever he might go through. Dean watched closely as Castiel poured the holy water onto the mark, causing a sizzling, burning action. 

“Stay strong” Dean encouraged, as Castiel started muttering something, gently pushing the mark off. the sizzling sound was like crackling on his skin. The brothers heard shouts from Jose, but the mouth of his body didn’t move. Was it working? They couldn’t tell. As Castiel started moving in a circle , wiping it away, The whimpering sounds of a 10 year old started showing on Jose’s body’s face, which was a good sign, but it was equally painful to listen to and see. 

The more Castiel wiped off of his stomach, the more Jose’s body reacted to his spirit. Muscles spasmed, fingers tensed, teeth clenched, but still, it didn’t seem complete. Castiel was nearly done, but stopped 

“Dean, I need you to hold him down” Castiel practically commanded. “This last part might make his body convulse” Dean immediately did as he was told, holding onto Jose’s shoulders

“Stay still kid, you’re almost there.” Dean assured Jose best he could. Castiel moved slowly as he wiped away what remained, Jose’s body violently reacting, yelling at the pain, screaming something about how it burns. Dean holds him down with little effort, and when he stops moving, Dean looks to see if the body is still breathing. It is. “Come on, kid. Wake up.” He implored, Sam finally coming up to see the final product. 

Vibrant, bright eyes greeted the brothers, along with deep, slightly pained breaths “... Did it work?” he asked. Dean grinned, grabbing Jose’s sides and lifts him up

“You’re alive, kid!” He announced, grinning. Sam smiled at this, seeing Dean with kids was always nice. 

“I’m alive? I’m Alive!!” He smiled, and as Dean was about to bring him down he wrapped his one arm around Dean’s neck “Thank you!!” Dean - not really sure what to do - let him hug “ I didn’t deserve to die yet…” 

“Whoa whoa what?” Dean asked. 

“What it means is unimportant. That young boy has not eaten in five years” Castiel voiced. 

“Alright, so food first” Sam nodded. 

“Thanks, Cas” Dean nodded, before Castiel nodded back and disappeared. 

“Was he really an angel?” Jose asked, and Dean nodded, still Holding the child in his arms “Wow….. That hurt though” He grumbled a bit, finally taking his arm off of Deans neck to lift up his shirt. The mark drawn on his stomach was burned into it, most likely going to scar. 

“Lets get you fed, kid. You like fast food?” Sam asked, and Jose nodded

“Is the McDonalds still here?” He asked

“Kid, you just came back from the dead… We’re getting you Wendy's” Dean announced. 

“Yay!” Jose raised his arm in the air. 

15 minutes and 3 orders of chicken nuggets later, Sam and Dean had satiated the newly revived 10 year old, and were driving back to the hotel - Jose having fallen asleep in the back seat. 

“Dean, what are we gonna do with him?” Sam finally asked the question they’d been lingering on for a while. 

“I’m not sure.” He answered “Normally I’d say we find some of his remaining family..” 

“He’s supposed to be 15, not 10” Sam reasoned “And dead” 

“Yeah yeah I know’ Dean waved him off, pulling into the motel parking lot “Maybe we can leave him with Bobby?” 

“We’re miles away from him, but its worth a shot” Same agreed, getting out and grabbing the sleeping child

The brothers set Jose up on the left side bed in the motel room, dressing him in one of Dean’s shirts because of the blood on his other clothes (Its a good thing they went through the drive through at the Wendy’s). The brothers then went to sleep themselves, still thinking. 

A sharp breath in the middle of the night woke dean, but when he saw that Sam was not moving, he assumed it was Jose. Turning around, he saw Jose staring out the motel window. Dean watched as Jose’s hand touched where his right arm used to me, and he let out a whimpering noise. Uh oh. Dean got up out of bed, the creaking getting Jose’s attention, and he watched as Dean walked around and sat next to him. 

“... Coming to huh?” He asked vaguely. 

“... Uh huh…” Jose responded, looking at where his arm once was. “... Good thing I’m a lefty.” 

Dean chuckled “You’ll be okay, kid” Dean put a hand on his shoulder “There’s this guy, Bobby. We’ll take you to live with him. He’s a good dude” He assured, looking down to see Jose’s reaction. 

“Where does he live?” He asked. 

“Well, we’re in south Carolina, and he’s in south Dakota, so its a bit of a drive” 

“South?” Jose asked, eliciting another chuckle 

“No, north” 

“Then why isn’t it called North Dakota?”

“There's already a North Dakota” 

“Then call it “North North Dakota” Jose giggled, Dean laughed as quietly as he could manage at the logic. 

“Are you up for it?” Dean asked. 

“... I guess so” Jose answered, sighing “Its just… its a lot to take in” He finally admitted

“I understand. We’ll get you there as fast as possible” Dean assured him, patting the kids back. Jose leaned into him 

“Promise?” 

“Promise” Dean nodded, letting Jose rest up against his side. It had been a while since he’d interacted with kids, so it was a welcomed gesture. Made him miss Ben a little. But he pushed that aside, and let Jose fall asleep against him before laying him back down, and getting back in bed. 

“Think it was nightmares?” Sam asked, not turning to face him

“Yeah… He’ll have those for awhile” Dean replied, lying back down “You're on nightmare duty next” he lightly joked, before falling right back to sleep. 

The next morning the brothers got Jose a carton of milk, some granola bars, and a few other snacks for the road before they packed up and got in the Impala.

“Wait, do you guys have a blanket?” He asked. 

“Why?” Sam asked

“Well, if i’m gonna be eatin’ in the back of the car I don’t wanna get food everywhere. I had napkins last night but i don't wanna take chances” Jose explained “you got a super nice car” 

Sam looked at dean, who held up a “wait a minute” finger and went to check the back of the car /under/ all the fighting gear. He found an old blanket, and laid it in the back of baby. “There” 

“Grasias!” Jose jumped, getting into the back seat and buckling up. 

“You sure we can’t keep him?” Dean asked, watching Sam roll his eyes

“Lets go” Sam said as he got into the car, and Dean parked himself in the front seat. 

On the road again. what a feeling


End file.
